Carried Off

ng, and if White Star did not seem to be better she must be led home from the damp marsh meadows that bordered the water. Though Harry was feeling intensely sad, he had a secret fe

her that it must be seen to, or the cattle would be straying; then he glanced at the little cart-horse foal that promised to be a rival of its mother. The Pitsea Farm cart-horse

haring the pasture. He went up to examine the gentle creature, and she knew well enough the youn

ll tell father to give her another day in the mea

the meadow he was in, nor did he see that four strong, rough-looking men in seafaring attire had quietly moored their long-

e bank, 'what have we here? a lad in this very

he will soon take to his heels at the sight of us. Now, quick

to find a witness to their robbery. Quietly and stealthily as they had landed, however, their intentions could not be carried out without some disturbance, and Harry was first ma

y the clever expedient of an extemporised lasso, and when the poor animal had been dragged towards its captor the robber made short work of tying his vi

g robbery carried on under his very eyes. Nay, when the strongest and foremost man began un

field and our cattle; away at once, and unloose the sheep, or, by'r laykin! it will be worse

laughed ironically as if Harry were a mere baby, and approaching

aster, the captain, requires these cattle to victual our ship before sail

he inequality of the struggle or the folly of his engaging single-handed with a ruffian of this description; he only thought of saving his father's property and avenging the insult. Nor were his

S BLOOD

Well, take that. Here, Jim, this way, bring the

lt a terrible pain in his head, his brain seemed to reel; bright, blood-red flashes blotted out the familiar fields, a

run up, and laughed as he saw Harry

for him, comrade?' he added with curiosity, in which was mingled neither pity nor fear. And yet the sight of Harry Fenn might have softened even a hard heart, one

'the captain's orders were that we must lose no time; there'll be several mo

you, Coxon, shall I despatch him for fear of hi

e lad, and decided, he knew n

or we can drop him somewhere, or give him a seaman's burial if he's dead, for, to tell the truth, it was a good whack tha

cured, till no more could be carried during this trip, and then, as silently as it had come, the boat was rowed swiftly down the creek till they reached their destinati

imself of his whereabouts, though he half realised that the night air was blowing in his face, and that something like sea spray now and then seemed to be dashed on his head. His hands were free, but what of his legs? He experienced a sharp cutting pain above his ankles, and with some difficulty he reached down to t

cided lurch forced the conviction upon him that he was ce

nxious his fond mother would be. He must at once get rid of that horrid thing that prevented his rising, and h

nd those ruffians who had treated him with such brutality, they must be no other than some of those dreaded buccaneers, whose atrocities in the West Indies made the blood of peaceable people run cold, and wonder why God's judgments did not descend on all who abetted such crimes. Harry, as we know, was very brav

of the doings of these buccaneers, who plundered, without distinction, the ships of all nations, and amassed treasures in the West Indies and the Spanish Main, and whose inhuman conduct to their prisoners was not much better than that experienced by the unfortunate

great; it were a pretty story to take back to my father and good Mr. Aylett, that I was found weeping like a girl; but all the

ful to a growing lad, yet he determined that even this suffering should not make him cry out, and, clenching his teeth together, he lay down again and tried to say a few mental prayers. Evidently he must have dozed off, for the next thing he remembered was the sound o

and his hunger, and, straightening himself, tried to wrench

d Harry. 'But as we are upon the high seas it's not likely I

some man entered the cabin, and, hearing Harry

glet! But we can soon cut his claws and stop his pretty prating. How now, boy: answ

throat, and the ends of the bow hung over his thick doublet, which was embroidered in a running pattern. His scarf, thrown over one shoulder and tied at his waist, was heavy with gold embroidery and fringe, and the sword that dangled at his side was evidently of Spanish make, and richly chased. As to his countenance, the more Harry gazed the less he could believe this man had anything to do with the buccaneers of the West Indies he had heard so much about, for the Captain's expression was open, and even pleasant. His eyes were of a pale blue, shaded by soft and reddish eyebrows; his nose straight

ddenly your men waylaid me when I defended our cattle, and used me in a brutish manner. Had they wanted to buy cattle, my father could have directed them to those willing to sell. I did but my duty in defending my father's property, and I doubt not that they gave you quite a wrong tal

Mings; and apparently they also much tickled the fancy of the Captain, for he joined in the merriment, though he looked with kindly eyes on the handsom

ptain will teach thee how to mind thy speech. Shall I stow the lad away, sir, in the hold? I t

deck for want of a stronger wing, he must needs stay aboard. Go and attend to the guns,

nd took the opportunity of roughly grasping Ha

soon teach thee to wag it less glibly. It would want but a small gun to blow t

Mings made off as quickly as possible; but by

honest folk. I only hope one of His Majesty's men-of-war will give chase, and I will do all in my power to give informatio

courtly man was an honest gentleman, that he cared nothing at the moment about the consequences of his violent language;

to see thy spirit. Tell me thy n

yeoman's son, and one that will receive no favours

to land now. We had to be very crafty to avoid a large three-decker of sixty-four guns that, I fancy, had scent of my poor frigate; but we ran up the French flag, and so got off; and now we are making a very fair

dizziness which he could hardly control, and he half fell on a bench which w

try and protect you from the sailors. We are rough people at times, but not so bad as we're painted; so if yo

; 'my father brought me up in honest ways. I would r

ies were less squeamish in those days, and called the deeds of bold men by fine names, whereas now, in truth, it is convenient to dub us buccaneers. There was Sir Thomas Seymour, and before him there were fine doings by Clarke's squadron. By St. George, he was a lucky man! and after six weeks' cruise he brought back a

nd, hastily rising, the buccaneer opened a locker and took from

ill revive thy courage. But first

th his hand to take the glass,

God wills, I can die, but I w

ry, took hold of his arm with his left hand, and with h

gered to his feet; then with his right hand he struck the glass with as much strength as h

cried; but the words were barely audi

n, and, stooping down, he poured a few drops of the wine into Harry's mouth; then, ca

ction,' said the Captain to himself